Western Railway directs AH Wheeler to vacate 55 stalls in Mumbai Central division

Mumbai: Western Railway has directed AH Wheeler to stop sales and vacate 55 multi-purpose stalls (MPS) across its Mumbai Central division, with the 72-hour notice period ending on March 31 after the letter was served on March 28, officials said.The move marks the end of a long chapter for AH Wheeler, one of the most recognisable names at Indian railway stations. It was founded in 1877 at Allahabad station, now Prayagraj. The company has been asked to hand over vacant possession of all stalls along with railway-owned fixtures and fittings in good condition.The 55 stalls, spread across key stations in the Mumbai division, are currently operating as multi-purpose stalls (MPS). These units were converted from the company's traditional railway book stalls on April 1, 2021, under a five-year agreement that expires on March 31, 2026.The latest communication issued by the office of the divisional railway manager (commercial), Mumbai Central, states that all sale activity must stop immediately after the contract period ends.The railway has invoked the contract clause requiring the licensee to vacate the premises within 72 hours of expiry and return the stalls in proper condition.Officials said the company has also been instructed to clear all pending dues, including licence fees, electricity charges, fines and penalties, before handing over possession. Station managers and commercial inspectors across the division have been told to ensure compliance and submit no-dues certificates after taking over the spaces.Fresh tenders for these stalls have already been floated, indicating Western Railway's plan to continue commercial use of the spaces after the present contract expires.The company started when French businessman Emile Edward Moreau and TK Banerjee started selling books to passengers waiting for trains. Named after Moreau's English friend Arthur Henry Wheeler, the brand grew from a small wooden platform cabinet into a nationwide chain of railway book stalls. Over the decades, it became closely associated with train journeys across India and also helped popularise the early writings of Rudyard Kipling, making it a historic part of railway travel culture.